Asfand, Afrasiab again nominated for top slots

PESHAWAR: In order to ensure continuity of policies and manifesto, the provincial and central leadership of Awami National Party has again nominated the names of Asfandyar Wali Khan and Afrasiab Khattak for the posts of party’s central and provincial presidents respectively.

The electoral process in this regard will be held on November 23 and 30, 2011. Earlier, the nationalist party was scheduled to complete the electoral process from ward to the top leadership level by October 15 this year after being given the six-month extension in completing the process. Already, the party elections, due to be completed by March this year, were delayed for six months and the ANP Central Executive Committee had formally approved this in its meeting afterwards.Sources informed TheNation that most of the party office-bearers are willing to re-elect central president Asfandyar Wali Khan and provincial president Afrasiab Khattak.

This would be the fourth consecutive term for central president Asfandyar Wali Khan to be elected as president of the party at central level. Talking to TheNation, ANP, KP, Information Secretary Arbab Mohammad Tahir Khalil said the electoral process for provincial office-bearers would be held on November 23, in which members for provincial cabinet would be elected.The total number of voters in the provincial council for the election of the provincial office-bearers is about 550, which include member of central Executive committees, elected MNAs, MPAs, senators , District president and District General secretaries of the party.

Arbab Tahir Khalil added that central officebearers will be comprised president, Senior Vice President, Vice Presidents, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Joint Secretaries, Secretary Finance, Secretary Information, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Secretary Labour and Student Affairs and Central Chief Commander.When asked that who will be the strong candidate in the upcoming election for the slot of presidency, he said that owing to numerous challenges which confronted to Pakhtuns as well as this region the party workers and the party leadership consider Asfandyar Wali Khan a strong candidate to lead the party for the fourth consecutive term. He said his re-election as a president of the Party would ensure continuity of ANP policy on terrorism and other related issue.

He said after the president the most important party designation is General Secretary, which will be decided on the eve of ANP electoral meeting.He added that majority of central office-bearers, including the central president, are likely to get re-elected but obviously they will have to go through the electoral process.It is worth mentioning that despite the loss of over 200 workers and two legislators of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – Dr Shamsher Ali Khan and Alam Zeb – in terrorist attacks, there has been no change in ANP and its government’s anti-terrorism policy. –